The Last of Her People
by Longing.For.The.Stars
Summary: She didn't understand social interactions, yes. She wasn't strong, either, and it was very true that she could not throw a good punch or give a decent kick. The people of her native world were long gone, their secrets with them, hidden powers she would never learn. But... she grew up at the feet of a god. . . . Did they really think her defenseless?
1. Chapter 1

This won't be updated often or frequently. It's not my main story, just a little side-project.

* * *

The first time she did it, she was a larvae. She didn't know she was doing it, couldn't know. She was hovering on the thin edge between consciousness and a void. True awareness would come later, but for now, she just... _was_.

She wasn't abandoned, as Ego would later tell her. She knew that much.

There was two beings, so much bigger than her. They were such bright sparks, every touch filled with love and _warmth_. They held her, fed her, kept her filled with a feeling she would later identify as _safe_.

Soon, she started to comprehend this thing called _words_. They were not as simple as _feelings_ , but they, too, held _meanings._

The calmer spark called itself her _Dada_. Safety-bringer, comfort-giver, protector. The faster spark, the one that spun and darted, called itself her _Mami_. Life-giver, caretaker. And she? Her name was... Mantis.

It was good. Life was kind. Mantis was...happy. But...

It was gone all too fast. There was another being who was bright, but this one _burned_. A being who was far _greater_ than what he appeared, who was there, but not there. Where her _Mami_ and _Dada_ were sparks, this one was a raging inferno.

The two sparks were afraid. It was night, but the very sky was on fire, filled with the light that the Inferno brought. They were fleeing before that fearsome light. They _feared_ and Mantis _could feel that fear_.

The ground was rushing, moving quickly, but still the inferno followed. It was too fast. They could not escape. Mantis could feel others, so many others, but one by one, they were swallowed by the Inferno, and she could no longer feel them. Dozens... then a mere dozen... then five... three...two... one. Then, they were all gone.

It was just Mantis and _Mami_ and _Dada_.

 _Dada_ was slowing down. Then, _Dada_ stopped and turned. "Go! I'll hold him off!"

 _Mami_ was crying. "No, Tabis! You can't."

"Go. You must save her," _Dada_ said quietly, gently.

 _No_. She didn't want to leave _Dada_.

 _Mami_ was running again. They were leaving _Dada_. She could feel his spark growing farther and farther away, but he was still there. He was still bright. And then...

Nothing.

His spark wasn't there anymore.

 _Dada_ was _gone_.

 _Mami_ stopped. She was crying, wailing. She was going back.

 _No. No!_

Mantis didn't want to lose _Mami_ too.

 _Go_ , Mantis said, with her head. _Go!_ Mantis pushed her little head against _Mami_. She didn't want to get closer to the Inferno.

 _Mami_ was running now. It was okay, though. This time, she was running away from the Inferno. But...

It was too fast. It was coming closer. She could feel _Mami_ and _Mami_ was tired.

It was here. The Inferno.

"Manta," it was saying. "Fancy meeting you here."

"You shall not have her, Ego," _Mami_ said, pressing Mantis closer. "Leave. You will not take her away!" She was backing away from that light, the terrible inferno.

"She's mine, though," the Inferno - Ego - said slowly, calmly. "Have sense, my lady-love. Your species are a patriarchy, are they not? The child belongs to _me_." Ego was coming closer. His hand was up, reaching, _reaching_. Mantis didn't want him.

"I am neither your lady, nor your love!" Mami said loudly. Her voice was a fearsome thing. "And what more is that neither I nor Mantis are _yours_." She lifted her chin up.

Mantis began crying. She wanted to go home. She didn't want the Inferno here. She wanted her _Dada_.

"Look, Manta, you're scaring her," Ego said. Ego was wrong. She wasn't scared of _Mami_. Mantis was scared of Ego. He was closer now. "Hey, little guy, is your name Mantis? What a cute little name. I'm your daddy. Want to come home with me?" No, Mantis didn't want him near her.

"Sleep," _Mami_ said. Her hand was on Ego's head. "Sleep!"

Ego was sleeping.

 _Mami_ was running.

Mami, was running, but not away from the Inferno. Where was the Inferno? They had to get away, but the Inferno was gone, so why were they running? Why w-

"My _dear_ Manta, did you really think you could get away from me?"

He was in front of them.

He burned.

 _Mami_ 's spark was dim now. Mantis was in Ego's arms and _she could not remember how she got there_. Where was _Mami_? Ego was walking away, and Mantis could not see _Mami_. Mantis was growing higher and higher, right in front of Ego now. The Inferno was looking at her. A hand touching her head. The emotions he held rushed through her.

 _Hope_... _Disappointment_.

"Pity. With the way they were... protecting you, one would think you held some sort of promise. Not a drop of celestial in you."

The hand fell away, only to fall upon Mantis's neck.

 _Danger_. The fingers slowly tightened.

Mantis knew that something was wrong. She might have a spark too, and the Inferno might make it disappear, like it did to _Mami_ and _Dada_.

 _Sleep_ , Mantis begged, remembering how quiet and peaceful sleep was. _SLEEP_ , Mantis demanded, remembering how he left _Mami_ alone for a bit after she told him to sleep.

The light that burned was now dim, just a normal spark now. Ego was falling, but so was Mantis. Mantis hit the ground. It hurt. She hurt everywhere.

Where was _Mami_?

Mantis had no legs. She could not walk, could not run away to _Mami_. Mantis had no arms. She could not crawl, drag herself away from the terrible, terrible light, the light that was growing hotter already. It was too bright now! It burned! It burned-

Hands on her, hands that burned, yet underneath the fire... froze. Icy. There was nothing there, nothing that could-

"Well," Ego said. He was looking at her. "It seems you have your mother's talent of pushing your emotions on others. Perhaps you aren't so useless after all. I may just keep you." He reached out and tapped Mantis on the nose.

Mantis cried.

And the Inferno swept Mantis away.

* * *

And so it begins!

In the GotG movie, it was said that Mantis was abandoned, the last of her kind. But... What if she wasn't? Maybe she was kidnapped. And her species no longer exists because they were all killed trying protect Mantis from this being that they knew meant her harm? After all, a community of empaths would be pretty close-knit.


	2. Chapter 2

Against all my expectations, here's a chapter. I didn't expect one so soon, and you shouldn't expect another update this or next month, but here you go. Go enjoy it more than I did writing it.

* * *

 _Warmth..._

 _Hunger..._

 _Silence..._

Time held no meaning.

 _Curiosity, then fondness..._

 _Discomfort, worry..._

There was no thought, just the faintest of sensations.

 _Fear-hopelessness-quick! Pain-_

 _Quiet..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _Warmth_ , a stifling heat. Tightness, a once-cozy embrace that had long since morphed into a grasping cage. She had to escape it.

Twisting, turning, but there was no room to wriggle. How to get out? Instinct had her instinctively reaching-

What were these?

Long, thin projections on both of her sides, splitting off into even smaller projections. There were five of them on either of the larger projections, and they- oh! They were strong, so strong.

Using her 'hands' - she had hands, now - she ripped apart the papery walls of her cocoon. For the first time in a long time, she took a breath of fresh, unfiltered air. For the first time ever, she sat back. She held her hands in front of her face, opening and closing them. Amazing. So strong. They were part of her. They were hers.

But...

Who was 'she?'

She was a separate thing, not part of the gold on the ground or spiraling up around her. She was not like the furniture that molded itself from the beautifully curved walls, so artfully arranged in a way she would later learn to describe as _tasteful_. She was different. She was imperfect in a way the flawlessly golden walls weren't. She was...

Something fluttered in the back of her mind.

 _Mantis_ , a sweet voice sung. _Your Dada and Mami love you. Never forget, my little butterfly_.

Those were 'words.' They held 'meanings,' meanings she once knew, long ago. She...

No, not _she_.

 _I_. I am...

 _Mantis. I am Mantis. And my Dada and Mami love me_.

But what was a _Dada_ or a _Mami_?

The floor was trembling. It was not much, but instinct told her... something was coming. Larger than her, heavier, right outside the door. What was it? It seemed that she was finding out soon; the door was opening. A face, a face so familiar, yet so different...

"Oh, you lived," a voice said with something more than disinterest but less than intrigue. The voice was familiar too, familiar in a way that made her pulse quicken and shoulders tense with a feeling she was too new and unfamiliar to name. "You didn't move for so long, I didn't think you would survive."

"Survive," Mantis tried, tasting the word. "Survive. Mantis _survive_."

"Yes, I guess you did," the voice sighed. "A lot mouthier now, too. You have legs, though, so I guess it's for the better. I won't have to pick you up anymore."

Pick her up? Mantis's head tilted as she thought, neurons forcing new connections in her head. This being had cared for her while she was at her most vulnerable, picked her up and brought her everywhere with it. It was strong, distinctively masculine. Male. Did that mean... " _Dada_?" Mantis asked, opening her arms in welcome.

The being looked down at her, nudging her with his foot. Mantis reached out, brushing insistently at the flesh peeking out above the strange material cladding the 'foot.' _Doubt. Wary amusement. Hesitation._ The foot moved away. "You shall call me Ego."

That was neither a confirmation, nor a denial. "Dada?" Mantis repeated insistently, following the foot.

"Ego." _Frustration._ A lick of _Anger._ No, this was not a _Dada_. A _Dada_ should not _burn_ like this.

"Ego," Mantis agreed, disquiet. The foot moved away, and this time, Mantis let it.

~ _Mantis_ ~

Mantis was a young, shaky thing. When she emerged from her chrysalis, Mantis had shed off her cocoon and, with it, her larval memories. Memories... Memories were fickle things, liable to change with new information added. The willfully determined could change their own memories to fit with their beliefs, to cast a better light on themselves.

Mantis... Truth was, Mantis missed her childhood memories. It was as if a hole had opened up inside her. It was too late though. They were gone. The memories had been a part of her and Mantis didn't want to let go of them, but...

They made Mantis so _sad_.

Perhaps it was for the best that Mantis forgot them.

There were other things for Mantis to see and hear and _feel_.

Mantis's legs were long and thin and so very _new_. They shook as they carried her weight, but they listened to her. Learning to walk was easy enough. It was a matter of hours before Mantis could run. And run Mantis did.

Away from Ego-who-burned and the empty-house-not-home. Away, towards _Mami_ and _Dada_. But where were they? _What_ were they?

Down the halls. Through the empty fields. Faster and faster.

Somewhere...

But no matter how far Mantis ran, how fast, she couldn't escape. They were watching. Eyes. Eyes were always on her. Watching. Judging. Even when Mantis hid in a big cave she found, the _presence_ was there, laughing.

 _Screaming..._

 _Pain..._

 _I hurt..._

 _Please!_

 _Help me!_

 ** _No_**!

Not this cave, anywhere but this cave! Where did this...this... _fear_ come from?

She had to run. Mantis had to escape.

Mantis ran...

and ran...

and ran...

When Mantis realized that she alone could not avoid the eyes, she went to Ego. Ego, with his overarching _power_ , could help her.

The presence pressing down on her did not decrease when Mantis went to Ego, in his room so wide and bare. Ego turned his eyes on her, and the presence grew stronger, and was pressing down, his hand was on her wrist, and _everything_... and...

Mantis _screamed_.

~ _Mantis_ ~

Mantis was a mere four days emerged from her chrysalis when Ego - _Master_ Ego - took her off his planet for the first time Mantis could remember.

White walls curved up around them in an orb-like formation, and they were off. Light and colors burst around them. Mantis felt like darting for a hiding place. She felt too big for her skin. It was _excitement_ , and _nervousness_ , and _so much more_. Mantis wanted to feel like this forever. It was like jumping in place, like spinning and not stopping. It was like laughing until her stomach hurt.

Mantis did none of this. She stood quiet next to Ego, like he wanted. Mantis did not move. She barely breathed.

Ego looked at her, eyebrow raised.

Mantis didn't move.

Ego looked away.

"You're more quiet than I thought you'd be," Ego rumbled. "I like that."

"Thank you, Master Ego," Mantis recited. She stood stiffly for the next few hours until they reached Ego's newest planet.

"Remember," Ego told her, hand on the top of Mantis's head, "you are an orphan, abandoned by your kind. I, your generous father-figure, took you in and raised you as my own. _Understand?_ "

"Yes, Master Ego," Mantis said, looking down respectfully.

Ego's eyes narrowed, and Mantis felt how unconvinced he was. "I don't believe you. _Do you understand?_ "

Ego's will pressed against her own. Mantis crumbled under the weight. "Yes, Master Ego," Mantis said meekly. "You generously took me in when I was abandoned by my own kind."

"Acceptable," Ego decided grudgingly. The hand left her head, and Mantis could think again.

"Master Ego, is a _father_ like a _Dada_?" Mantis asked.

"They mean the same thing," Ego informed her.

Mantis reached the only logical conclusion she could think of. "You are my _Dada_."

"I am your father-figure."

Mantis opened her mouth to argue. Ego reached his hand out. He didn't touch Mantis, but Mantis flinched back, still.

They didn't talk about _Dadas_ again.

~ _Mantis_ ~

There were many people on the planet, so many that Mantis hid when they were near. Unlike her, the people were blue. Even Ego became blue.

'Nanetha' was the person Mantis saw the most on that planet. Mantis followed Ego, Ego was always with Nanetha, and Nanetha liked to talk to Mantis. Nanetha used long words that sounded funny, and she would always tell Mantis what they meant when she asked. Nanetha was so much smarter than Mantis, but she was kinder than she was smart. Nanetha was what Mantis thought a _Mami_ should be like, but Mantis knew she was not Mantis's _Mami_. Mantis still wanted to be like Nanetha when she grew up.

Nanetha had a thing called 'books,' that held 'knowledge.' Nanetha taught her to read the books. They were beautiful, and when Mantis read, she went to many different places. When she read, she became many different people, people happier than she was. She didn't want to stop reading.

She didn't have to.

Nanetha liked that Mantis liked the books. Every day, Mantis got a new book from Nanetha. Mantis liked it, just as much as she liked Nanetha. Mantis never wanted to leave.

~ _Mantis_ ~

They had to leave.

Ego had come to the planet to do something, and he did it, so they had to leave. Ego wanted to leave fast, but Mantis read books. She knew that goodbye was important part of a story, so Mantis took a long time collecting her books. Nanetha came home before Mantis found all the books. She was confused, so Mantis told her that Ego was leaving.

They were shouting now. Screaming and shouting and crying. Mantis didn't like that. She wanted her not- _Dada_ and her not- _Mami_ to get along. She went into the room.

"At least leave her with me!" Nanetha was yelling. "She deserves a home!" Who was the 'she' they were talking about?

"No! She has to stay with me. I'm the only one that knows how to control her powers. I know her limits, what she can do!" Ego was shouting back. "This girl is _death_! The last of her kind!"

Mantis didn't like that. Who was the girl who brought death? Mantis didn't want her near Nanetha. "It's okay, Nanetha!" Mantis said, trying to make Nanetha feel better. "I'll protect you from her! I promise the girl won't hurt you." She ran to Nanetha and hugged her. Hugs always made everything better.

Nanetha was crying. Skin was touching Mantis's arms. There was _sorrow_ , sorrow so deep, that it brought Mantis to her knees, but something else was there. _Love_... This was what a _Mami_ should be like.

"All the more reason she is to be protected!" Nanetha told Ego. "She doesn't want to hurt anyone."

"And that would make a difference, wouldn't it?" Ego mocked. "When she tears apart someone's mind on accident, that makes it okay because she didn't _want_ to hurt anyone?"

Nanetha took a long time to get ready. She went upstairs to the library and took out crates and crates of books, more books than Mantis could read in years. Books with words Mantis didn't know the meaning of and books with words from a different 'language.' Nanetha gave her the books.

The books, the precious, precious books were piled in crates at the corner of the Ego's spacecraft, but Mantis didn't care. Ego could have all the books in the world. Ego could destroy all the books, could have all the words and letters and make them disappear forever. Mantis didn't care about the books. All Mantis wanted was Nanetha.

~ _Mantis_ ~

"If you want it," Ego said slowly, patiently, "come get it." His lips curved up, but Mantis knew that a touch of his flesh would not reveal happiness. It did not matter. Mantis did not want to make him happy. He would never be truly happy. He didn't know how to be happy. Mantis did.

No, Mantis didn't want to make him happy, even if she could. Mantis wanted the book.

Mantis approached slowly, watching the book in Ego's hands. After they had returned from Nanetha's planet, Ego had not bothered to change his appearance. As such, the hand holding the book was still blue. It was raised over her height, but not unbearably tall. If she should jump, the paper would be within reach. But...

It was a trap.

It had to be. Mantis could not remember a single time he gave her something freely. There was always a price or a goal. There were no females nearby, no ladies Ego could impress with 'kindness' Mantis knew he did not possess or lure with false words he did not mean.

She could jump. He would raise the book, but could she reach it in time? Snatch it out of his hands before he raised it too high?

"Well?" Ego asked, almost taunting.

No, Mantis could not do it. She was quick, but Ego was faster.

...Maybe he meant to give the book to her this time?

Mantis reached up. The book raised even higher. "No, if you want this, you know what you have to do," Ego told Mantis. "Make me sleep."

Mantis looked uncertainly at Ego. He was so much stronger than could not make him sleep...

...could she?

Ego was holding his hand out to her, like the fathers she saw at the playground. He was smiling.

Did he mean to act like a father?

Mantis reached up.

She wrapped her hand around his fingers.

It _burned_.

Mantis heard screaming. It was shrill and loud. Mantis didn't like it, but the screaming didn't stop. Mantis could not tell the screaming girl to stop. It hurt so much, Mantis could not talk.

"Silence," Ego said harshly. He was talking to... Mantis.

It was hard to think. Why was he talking to Mantis? Ego should be talking to the screaming girl. She sounded hurt.

But...

Mantis was the one screaming, the noises tearing themselves out of her throat.

Hand on her wrist, grinding bones together. _Whose hand was it? Who was touching her- it hurt! It hurt!_

Fingers, torn from the _Inferno. Thankyou, thankyou, don't touch me-_

Mantis, tossed onto the floor. _Sliding, sliding across the room._

The floor was hard and cold, but she still burned. _Fire won't leave, won't go away-_

Shadow falling over her. _Who-?_

"Pitiful," Ego said.

He walked away, leaving Mantis on the cold, _cold-floor-can't-move-let-me-go-STOP!_

* * *

 _I just read Wikipedia... Did you know that in the comics, Mantis was mega-powerful? She defeated Captain America in combat (okay, he was distracted, but still). Wow._


End file.
